Poliwrath looks superficially similar to Poliwhirl. However, it has gained more muscle, especially around its arms, which are now quite thick. In addition, it is much larger, standing a foot taller than its pre-evolution. Its eyes have changed from having wide pupils to small ones and it appears to sport a permanent scowl. Its belly also now resembles a gaping mouth rather than being completely circular, but retains the white coloration and spiral it had as a Poliwhirl.
Gender differences
None.
Special abilities
In addition to the Water-type and hypnotic abilities it had as Poliwag and Poliwhirl, Poliwrath has now gained the powers of a Fighting-type. It can swim for vast distances without tiring, swimming far and fast with minimal breathing, and is adept at such swimming styles as the front crawl and butterfly. With its increased arm and leg strength, it also has the ability to run on the surface of water for a short amount of time. Like Machop, Poliwrath's muscles never grow fatigued, however much it exercises.
Behavior
With its newly-gained fighting abilities, Poliwrath is more aggressive than its pre-evolutions, and is more willing to pick fights with others.
Poliwrath, despite being excellent swimmers, usually live on dry land near the water's edge. They can be found within the range that Poliwag and Poliwhirl can be found.
Poliwrath's first non-cameo appearance was in Charizard Chills. An expert Trainer named Tad had one and it defeated Ash's Charizard easily when Ash challenged him. Charizard managed to defeat the Poliwrath in a rematch.
In Outrageous Fortunes, Misty challenged another Trainer named Delaney whose main Pokémon was Poliwrath. After seeing it in action, Team Rocket tricked Delaney into giving his Poliwrath to them.
A Poliwrath was one of the Pokémon competing in the Pokémon Sumo Wrestling in Ring Masters.
A Poliwrath was one of the inhabitants of an oasis just for Pokémon in Got Miltank?.
In Pop Goes The Sneasel, a fainted Poliwrath appeared with its Trainer. It was knocked up off-screen after training near the place where the Sacred Fire of Ho-Oh was kept.
Poliwrath debuts in Buzz Off, Electabuzz! when Red's Poli evolves into one to save its Trainer from drowning. It's a muscular Pokémon who sends its enemies flying with Seismic Toss. Gold also sees the same Poliwrath in a "Book of Champions", and then tells his Poliwag that it'll also become a Poliwrath. Later, Chuck is seen having a Poliwrath train with him and his Primeape.
Poliwrath's highly developed, brawny muscles never grow fatigued, however much it exercises. It is so tirelessly strong, this Pokémon can swim back and forth across the Pacific Ocean without effort.
Its highly developed muscles never grow fatigued, however much it exercises. This Pokémon can swim back and forth across the Pacific Ocean without effort.
Poliwrath, alongside Smeargle and Articuno, is one of the few Pokémon that can learn an accuracy-focusing move and a OHKO move, learning Fissure by TM27 in Generation I and Mind Reader at level 51 in Generation II. It no longer has the ability to learn both moves, however.
In Generation II and Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver a man in Celadon City has a Poliwrath and says he hopes it will evolve into a frog Pokémon one day. Although the Pokémon he was thinking of is most likely Politoed, it is too late, as it is Poliwhirl that evolves into Politoed when holding a King's Rock, not Poliwrath.
An early design of Poliwrath revealed on Game Freak's official Japanese website circa 1997 depicts it wearing a crown, similar to the King's Rock which is necessary to evolve Poliwhirl into Politoed.
Origin
Poliwrath is based on a tadpole. The spiral pattern on its belly is supposed to represent how the organs of tadpoles can sometimes be seen through their transparent skin. It may also be based on amphibian neoteny, as it stays in tadpole form and does not metamorphose into a frog.
Name origin
Poliwrath is a combination of polliwog and wrath (anger).
Nyorobon is a combination of ニョロニョロ nyoronyoro (the sound of slithering) and an alternate reading of 洪 kō (deluge or flood) is hon (relative to bon).
In other languages
Language
Title
Meaning
Japanese
ニョロボン Nyorobon
From ニョロニョロ nyoronyoro and 洪 kō which can also be read as hon or bon